Corzine Can Put Pen Where Mouth Is

Corzine has a chance to restore some of the faith lost in him. The governor has a $33.5 billion budget — with more than $100 million in additions added by the Legislature — and a veto pen. He should use the pen generously before midnight Saturday.

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About Bob Ingle

Bob Ingle is Senior Political Columnist for Gannett New Jersey newspapers and co-author of The New York Times' Best Seller, "The Soprano State: New Jersey's Culture of Corruption" and "Chris Christie: The Inside Story Of His Rise To Power". He has won numerous journalism awards and is often a news analyst on radio and television. Twitter @ bobingle99.

30 Responses to Corzine Can Put Pen Where Mouth Is

It’s probably like the school budgets where they put something in they really don’t need so it can be taken out by the municipal bureaucrats when voters turn it down to make it appear they did something positive. My guess is if we find that figure for this budget we have the answer.

My guess is he’s so arrogant and contemptuous of the people that he will mysteriously and suddenly develop writer’s cramp.

The Gold Dome Shamans will interpret that as a sign from above, and nothing will change. Money flow in NJ is uni-directional: from the people to the government (aka special interests). Stephen Hawking would call it a “Golden Singularity”, where money vanishes over the event horizon, never to be seen again by average citizens.

Don’t believe Stephen Hawking and his theoretical physics has been used to explain NJ budgeting but come to think of it I have made reference to black holes now and then. I think you’re on to something.

A phenomenon artificially created by dishonest and/or corrupt politicians. The massive greed at the center of the singularity attracts tax dollars and illegal contributions, which can then never escape the “black hole”. It is theorized that the central mass of the singularity connects to another universe, which is composed of special interest groups, political cronies, nepotistic entities, and secret offshore bank accounts. Once taxpayers’ money passes the event horizon of the singularity, no more information comes out concerning its true whereabouts. The Golden Singularity is native to New Jersey, but is often found in lesser numbers in other regions, notably the incredibly corrupt Third World.

Think Corzine will avail himself of the feared veto pen? Think again. All the stinkin’ pols have to say is it’s only $100 million this year. It was over $330 million last year. See?! We’re doing something!

I must say it,Corzine was in over his head at Goldman. He’s in way over at his present job (is it realy) as well.

Did you ever see the movie “Dave”. I bet I can find an accountant off the street that could look at NJ’s books and save 500 million with the first pass. And why do we send $150,000.00 a year to the University of Manila?

The fact of the matter is that this year’s budget process was much more transparent than previous sessions, including when the Republicans held the senate and assembly. Many of the legislators that have been quoted in the papers have mentioned that Christmas Tree items have been few and far between, and there are billions dedicated to property tax relief in the current budget, though long-term sustainability is indeed a concern. I’d be interested in reading what the $100 million requested went to and whether they were necessary programs (assistance to low-income New Jerseyans or senior citizens) or perhaps not.

Anyone willing to bet that a few special programs somehow got funded hidden under some other agency budget? If there is a way to pry our money out of our hands into some special interest , it will happen.

As others have also noted, wait until after the elections for all the big holes being dug to bury us in. Once re-elected (and sadly most will be), the skeletons will slowly come out of the closets.

I have no doubt his pen will find some use, ostensibly with much flair (sorry) and panache. My sixth sense tells me that he has already made deals to cover the poison-pen work, and the high drama is just that – fiction.

Our revels now are ended; these, our actors, as I foretold you, were all spirits, and have vanished into air, into thin air; and like the baseless fabric of this vision, the cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces, the solemn temples, the great globe itself, yea, all which it inherit shall dissolve, and like this insubstantial pageant faded, leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little lives are rounded with a sleep.

After the pageantry of polling, more posturing, pandering, pilfering and prevarication will prevail. The rest is silence.

I expect to pay taxes and don’t overly gripe when the “system” seems fair and equitable.

I loathe the feeling of being taken for a ride and abused.

It is an afront to the concept of our democracy when the private and personal deals that enhance the wealth and power of those in office are so overt, as they fear no repercussions. Considering how much “wrong” is just “in your face”, I shutter to imagine how many more times the abuse is covert and well hidden.

I wish there were 1000 more federal prosecutors camped in Jersey going after these crooks and weasels and it might also help if we elected a better group to represent us and our interests.

“You can miss it for a month, come back, and they are all still telling the same old phony RepubliCon tales of horror!!”

Poor trolling on the web tonight, huh? Why don’t you try giving it two months? We promise not to miss you too much. Better yet, why not slither on over to MySpace and drop a hook there? Gotta be more fun than this.

You mean, of course, only Americans who think exactly like you? Get over yourself. And BTW, go back to the liberal professor(s) who brainwashed you and ask them for some additional uncomplimentary adjectives. Yours are wearing thin. You might also try to post something on-topic, instead of general nonsensical invective.

Democrat Republican—doesn’t matter they are all equally to blame (besides no real difference these days). Stop spending and cut government! Plain and simple economics which the Goldman Sachs folks can’t make $$$ on!

According to the Statehouse officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity so as not to upstage Corzine’s noon budget signing, the governor will veto legislative plans to give:

– $50,000 to support an honor roll program for Newark and Jersey City students. The money was sought by Sen. Ronald L. Rice, D-Essex. The plan involved creating the program, but also inviting legislators to games and lavishing them with treats.

– $100,000 to Women in Support of the Million Man March, funding sought by Sen. Sharpe James, D-Essex.

– $100,000 for Catholic Charities for the Diocese of Trenton for emergency and community services, money that was sought by Sen. Shirley Turner, D-Mercer.

Now, we just have to contact everybody on that list and remind them that their pandering representatives didn’t deliver the goods, as promised.

In any case, I didn’t see anything cut that would be particularly threatening to JC’s ambitions, kind of like a prizefighter who takes on librarians and school crossing guards. And what’s the percentage of reduction? 0.03%??

Remember Corzine and Abelow learned their trade in Wall Street. We all know what paragons of ethics that bunch is. Making fortunes by manipulating and skimming other people’s money, maybe some of yours. Our legislators are watching and learning carefully. Can Corzine and Crew improve upon traditional New Jersey corruption and deceit. Our “representatives” (not) are watching to see if they can pick up a few new twists. Does Trenton royalty really care what the ignorant serfs think? A “Christmas Tree” by any other name…

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Bob Ingle, Senior Political Columnist for Gannett New Jersey newspapers, on politics in "The Soprano State".

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Bob IngleBob Ingle is Senior Political Columnist for Gannett New Jersey Newspapers and co-author of The New York Times' Best Seller, "The Soprano State: New Jersey's Culture of Corruption." Hear him Fridays at 5 p.m. on www.tommygshow.com radio. twitter.com/bobingle99 E-mail Bob

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